Fireflies
by MishaMuse
Summary: CM Punk ends up babysitting his four year old niece while her mother's away on business. Who knew taking care of one little girl could be so hard? Oneshot.


A/N: I was totally in the mood for something light and fluffy and this is what came out. Enjoy!

Fireflies

"I don't have anywhere else to turn," the woman said. He took in her unhappy posture; head down, defeated. "I wouldn't ask you if I did. I know you're a busy guy…"

"Busy hardly describes it," he muttered, looking across the yard at the four year old who was chasing blinking fireflies in the dusk.

"But you're family," she said stubbornly, "and you're the only one I trust with her." The woman raised her head and watched the child, a brief flicker of a smile on her face. "I've already told her she'll probably be staying with you for a couple of days."

"Nice of you to give me a choice," he said sourly.

Anna bit her lip. "There's nowhere else I can take Emma."

The girl must've heard her name, because she turned and ran across the lawn, a huge grin on her lips. "Mama! Uncle Phil!" she said, laughing. "I made a friend! Did you see me?"

Anna smiled and scooped up the little girl. "We saw, sweetie. Come on, we'd better get going."

"Where are we going?"

"Back to Grandma's."

The child stiffened in her mother's arms. "B-but I don't like Grandma's house. It's smoky and I'll get sick. You said I was gonna have an adventure. That I was gonna stay here."

"Uncle Phil's busy, sweetie," Anna said, hugging her daughter close. Over the little girl's head, her dark eyes met his. "I was wrong. But it's okay. We'll come visit again soon."

Phil sighed, running his teeth over his lip ring as he studied the two of them. "You want to stay, Emma?" he asked. The little girl nodded so hard that her body shook with the motion. "Well, maybe one night won't hurt."

"Yay!" Emma said, holding her arms out to the man. He hesitated, then took her. Emma threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She beamed.

"I'll call you in the morning, after I make other arrangements," Anna said. "And thank you." Phil shrugged, setting the child down. "Let's go get your bag, Em."

Emma giggled and ran after her mom to the car. Phil sighed again and went into the house.

%

Emma asked a lot of questions. She pulled half the DVD's down and asked him what they were. She seemed especially interested in the wrestling Pay Per View DVDs. "Are you in this one?" she asked, handing Phil a DVD. He glanced at it and nodded. "What about this one? This one?"

"I'm in most of them," he said.

"Can I see?"

"I don't think your mom would like that much, Emma."

The little girl pouted. "She lets me watch you on TV sometimes."

Phil frowned. "She does?"

Emma nodded. "I liked it when you sang to Rey Mysterio's daughter. You're funny, uncle Phil."

Phil thought back to that particular night. "Most people said scary."

Emma giggled. "Bears are scary. You're funny. But you're fuzzy like a bear." She touched his beard.

"Hey!" He growled.

Emma shrieked and took off, running and laughing. "You can't catch me, mean uncle bear!"

He stared after her for a moment before getting to his feet and giving chase throughout the house. He finally caught her in the kitchen and lifted her up, still laughing and shrieking, and carried her to the living room again. Then he plopped her down on the couch. "Ha. Got you."

She grinned. "Will you watch a movie with me?"

"Sure. But you pick one of yours. I don't think I have any good ones."

She gave the DVDs in her bag a serious look before selecting Beauty and the Beast. "This is a good one."

"Oh?"

"Yep! It's my very favorite! Except for maybe the Little Mermaid."

"Okay then," he said. "Good enough for me." He put the DVD in the player and they settled on the couch, with Emma leaning against him. Before the movie was half over, she was asleep. Phil stared down at his niece and shook his head, smiling. The kid was a fireball. He picked her up and carried her to the guest room, making sure to leave the door open and the hall light on when he left.

%

At first, he wasn't sure what woke him. He mentally checked himself over, to see if anything hurt. Nope. That wasn't it. A scream broke through the room, electrifying. Phil jumped out of bed, heart pounding. Another scream echoed through the house, and he was off like a shot. By the time he reached the guest bedroom, another scream was shattering the night. "Emma?" he asked, snapping the light on.

"Uncle Phil!" She jumped from the bed and rocketed toward him, burying her head against his stomach, heartbreaking sobs shaking her little body.

"Hey, kid," he said, pulling her toward the bed and sitting down. She crawled into his lap. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I w-woke up and and i-it was d-dark and I-I…" She buried her head against him again. "I d-didn't know where you were!"

He frowned. "I'm sorry."

Emma gave him a scared look. "You left me alone! You can't do that!"

"I was in my room," he said, smoothing her hair back. "It's next to this one, remember?"

"But you said to stay out of there," she said, "and I didn't know where you were!"

Phil sighed and hugged her. "Sorry, Emma."

"What if someone tried to hurt me?" she whispered.

He gave the little girl an uneasy look. "No one is allowed to hurt you," he finally said. "Not here. Not ever."

She looked up at him, eyes wide and trusting. "Promise?"

"Promise," he said.

Emma bit her lip. "Okay. Do you have a night light?"

"No," he said, "but I'll leave the door open and the light on, okay?"

"Will you stay here?"

Phil sighed. "I have to sleep in my room, Emma. But tell you what. I'll leave my door open and if you get scared again, you can come in there and sleep, okay?"

"Can I come in there and sleep now?"

Phil stared down at her little tear streaked face and felt his heart breaking at the hopeful look in her eyes. "Sure."

Emma smiled and clapped her hands. "Yay! Thank you!" And then she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. "I like staying with you, uncle Phil."

%

Phil was up early the next morning, going about his usual routine. In truth, he hadn't slept well. Emma hogged the bed and kicked as though she'd been studying martial arts. He was about to doze off when his cell phone rang. Grumbling, Phil checked the clock. Barely after eight. He checked the number and saw it was Anna. "Hello?"

"Phil," she said, "I'm glad you're up. Look, I'm stuck in L.A. for two more nights, and there's no one to take Emma until tomorrow. I've called everyone. Do you think you can keep her one more night?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Really?" Even through the lines, he could hear the relief in her voice. "You don't mind?"

"It'll be fine," he said. "She's a cute kid."

"Thanks so much," Anna said. "I'll have my friend Maria pick her up at your house tomorrow afternoon. Thank you."

"Sure, no problem," he said.

"I've got to go. I'll call tonight to talk to Emma. Tell her I love her."

"I wil. Bye."

They hung up and Phil sat back with a sigh. "Uncle Phil?" He turned to see Emma, rubbing her eyes and standing in the hallway.

"Hey, Em," he said. "Did you sleep okay?"

She shrugged. "I want pancakes."

Phil chuckled. "Then you'd better go change your clothes so we can go out for pancakes."

She grinned and rushed to the bag beside him on the couch, digging for clothes. "Where are we going? Are we going to Denny's? I like Denny's."

"Sure. We can go to Denny's." He was glad she didn't ask for McDonald's.

"Yay!" She picked up her clothes and turned to him. "Mom says that young ladies get dressed in their rooms, so I will be right back."

Phil nodded. "I'll wait right here."

%

After a fight to get the safety seat into the car- Emma finally had to help him- they were off to Denny's. Their waitress, Bonnie, seated them in a booth at Emma's request. She refused the woman's offer of a booster, preferring to sit on her knees across from her uncle. She knew exactly what she wanted from the kids menu and gave an impatient sigh when Phil didn't. Bonnie grinned. "Let your dad have a minute, honey."

"Oh, I'm not her dad," Phil said hastily.

The waitress frowned. "Oh?"

"Nope!" Emma said with a sunny smile. "He's my uncle Phil, and he's a superhero!"

Phil blushed. "Superstar."

"He's babysitting me while my mom's working."

Bonnie smiled again. "Oh. Well, that's great."

"But he needs to hurry up and order," Emma continued. "Because if he doesn't, then it'll take _forever_ for us to get our food, and no one wants that!"

Phil put a hand over his eyes. "Kill me now," he groaned. "Please."

"Uncle Phil!" Emma said. "Focus! I need my pancakes!"

Bonnie covered her laugh with a not very convincing cough. Phil tried not to glare at the woman, since it wasn't her fault that his four year old niece was putting him to shame. "Right. I'll have what Emma's having."

"It's on the kid's menu," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "Adults eat adult food. Kids eat kids food."

"Hmm," Phil said. "Then I'll eat yours when it gets here."

"No!" Emma shrieked.

Bonnie grinned. "You know, just this once, I think we can make an exception and give your uncle the same thing you're having. What do you think?"

Emma considered. "Okay," she said finally. "But only because I'm starving and he's taking forever to make up his mind!"

Bonnie laughed. "Two smiley face pancakes, coming right up."

"With a side of eggs, please," Phil said.

%

Breakfast ended with both of them syrupy. Phil knew how Emma got it on her- she'd drowned the already whipped creamed pancakes in it- but he had no idea how he'd ended up with it on him, since he'd actually avoided the syrup. Either way, he had somehow gotten it on his arms, his shirt and there even seemed to be a spot on the top of one shoe. He took Emma to the bathroom and wiped her off with a wet paper towel and while she was in a stall, he took the time to try and get the syrup off himself. It was hopeless. With a sigh, he helped her wash her hands, and then led her out of the restaurant.

"What do you want for dinner tonight, Emma?" he asked, when she was strapped into the car seat.

"Dinosaur macaroni."

Phil frowned. "We'd better go to the store, then."

He'd never been shopping with a child before. After she wandered off while he was looking at the macaroni, Phil decided to put her in the cart. Emma pouted. "I'm not a baby. This is the baby seat."

"I don't want you to get lost, Emma."

"I want to ride in the back of the cart."

"That's where the food goes."

Emma crossed her arms. "You're just being mean and I'm not going to speak to you any more!" Phil sighed and pushed the cart with a silent Emma up the aisles. Until they got to the cereal, that is. "Oh, uncle Phil!" she said, excitedly.

"You're talking to me again?"

"I'm still mad at you," she said. "But uncle Phil! I need some crispies!"

Phil paused in front of the cereal. "Crispies?"

"Snap, crackle, pop!" she said.

"Oh." Phil picked up a box of Rice Crispies.

"No, no, no!" Emma said. "Not the white kind! The chocolate ones!"

He ran his teeth over his lip ring, then set the box down and picked up the one beside it. "This one?" She nodded. "Okay. Then I guess we need milk, huh?"

"Duh," she said. "You can't have Crispies without milk. Silly uncle Phil."

%

Phil barbequed steak for dinner, adding dinosaur macaroni on the side burner of the grill for Emma. While he cooked, she chased the fireflies. "I think they like me," she said to him, when one of the bugs landed on her shirt. "See? They keep coming to say hi!"

Phil chuckled. "Maybe we should eat out here?"

"Yeah!" She beamed. "That's good. I never get to eat outside with mom. She doesn't make food outside."

"Well," Phil said, "that's what uncles are for."

"Wait for me, fireflies!" Emma yelled, and then she was off again, chasing after them.

He grinned at his niece's enthusiasm, keeping a close eye on her while the food cooked. When it was done, he called, "Emma, come eat!"

They sat at the patio table and watched the fireflies. "My dinosaurs are mushy," Emma said conversationally.

"I'm sorry."

"I like them mushy. Mom always makes them mushy, too."

Phil studied the little girl in the failing light. He could see how much she looked like her mom. "She'll be home in a couple days."

"I know," Emma said with a smile. She reached across the table and patted his hand. "You're doing good."

Phil blinked. "Am I?"

"Yep." She took another bite. "Can we watch The Little Mermaid tonight?"

"Sure. After dinner. But I've got something else I have to do before I can watch it with you, okay?"

"Will it take long?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"Nope. And I'll come watch the movie with you after I'm done."

"Okay."

%

He settled her down to watch The Little Mermaid, and he was back before Ariel had legs. Emma crawled into his lap when he sat down, and leaned against his chest with a sigh. "I love this movie."

"It is a good one," he said, grinning at her.

When the movie ended, Phil carried the sleepy child to the guest room and set her on the bed. "What if I get scared?" she asked, brow furrowing. "We didn't get a night light."

Phil smiled and said, "No, but I've got something even better. I asked your friend the firefly what to do." He leaned over and plugged in the strand of Christmas lights that he'd pulled out of the storage room and turned to see the amazement on the little girl's face.

"Indoor fireflies?" she asked, her eyes full of wonder.

"Yep."

Emma grinned and hugged him as tight as she could. "Thank you, uncle Phil."

"You're welcome, kiddo," he said, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Get some sleep, okay?"

"Uncle Phil?"

"What, sweetie?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

Emma yawned. "For letting me stay with you."

Phil hugged her tightly. "You're welcome. Maybe we can do it again sometime."

"I'd like that," she said, smiling as her eyes drifted closed.

Phil stood up and headed for the door. He paused at the entry, turning to see that the little girl was already asleep. "Goodnight, little firefly," he murmured with a smile.


End file.
